W-L: 9,575-7,294 (.568)

Championships: 27

World Series Appearances: 40

Playoff Appearances: 48

Franchise Value: $1.6 billion

Was there any doubt which team would be listed as the greatest franchise in North American professional sports?

As the highest valued franchise in MLB with a net worth of $1.6 billion, the New York Yankees leads the league in revenue and titles, having won 27 World Series and 40 American League pennants. The team eclipsed the Canadiens in 1999, setting the record for most championships in North American professional sports history.

Spanning several dynasties, the Yankees won 20 World Series in 40 years between 1923 and 1962. And this doesn’t include the great franchise teams of the 1970s, 1990s, and 2000s. All of this winning has led the franchise to a 56.8% winning percentage, the best win rate in MLB.

Just think about the staggering numbers surrounding the Yankees. 44 players in the Baseball Hall of Fame have worn the Yankees pinstripes. The team's players have won an MLB record 22 MVP awards.

Some of the all-stars that have played for the Yankees are some of baseball’s greatest legends: Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Lou Gehrig, Roger Maris, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Roger Clemens, and Alex Rodriguez.

While the Yankees are perhaps the most popular team in baseball, any team that wins a great deal of the time is going to also polarize other sports fans. Yet, despite critics’ remarks that the Yankees spend heavily in the team’s quest to win, the Yankees continue to sell out stadiums across the US and Canada. In fact, from 2001 to 2006, the team led the league in road attendance.

Whether you call the team the “Bronx Bombers”, “the Pinstripes”, or “the Evil Empire”, one thing remains the same: the New York Yankees set the bar for all the other great franchises, not just in baseball, but across the North American professional sports leagues.